Polestar 2 is in production
Source: Polestar/Volvo Batteries usually make up about half of the vehicle’s value. But sometimes it can be more. Specifically, this is supposed to be the case with the Polestar 2 car. A certain Mr. Huang from China, where this electric car is also produced (originally a separate brand from Volvo, belongs to the Chinese concern Geely) had an accident with his electric car, in which the batteries were also damaged. They could no longer be used and the car would have to get a new one. But the price estimate shocked the owner of the damaged vehicle. As new, the Polestar 2 model costs from about 43,000 euros in China. However, the company wanted to charge 79,000 euros (converted) for the replacement of the battery. This would mean almost twice as much as the introductory price of the electric car (with identical batteries) and exactly 1.6 times more than Mr. Huang’s given car cost (56,000 euros for the dual motor long range version). It would therefore be cheaper to buy a new electric car of the same brand than to repair the original vehicle. But whether Mr. Huang wants to do that after this experience remains questionable. As reported by CNEV Post, when local journalists asked about battery replacement prices, they received an official answer from Polestar. The price for replacing the battery is said to be “only” 57,200 euros, so Mr. Huang was probably charged by the brand for other repairs that his vehicle needed – which is quite understandable given the location of the batteries – as they are protected by the bodywork in the middle of the vehicle. Even so, he would pay more for new batteries than for his well-equipped car. At the same time, the prices of competitors are usually significantly lower when replacing the battery. In the case of Chinese electric cars such as the Xpeng P7 with a similarly large battery with a capacity of 80 kWh, the replacement price is only $14,500, while Xpeng is willing to replace only some parts of the unit depending on battery damage, which would mean further savings. However, the safety of such a solution can be questionable. In addition, the replacement of individual damaged parts of the battery will become less and less likely over time, such a trend is led by Tesla, for example, with its new cells.